Rich B Caliente & Rick Ross Artfully Designed Porsche 911 is Headed to Auction

In this appropriately unique sale, the Porsche 911 Carrera will go on the auction block–as well as its digital properties. We’ll explain.

Artist and automotive designer Rich B Caliente is an innovative and exciting voice in car culture. Caliente’s eye-catching, one-of-a-kind creations have attracted a varied–and often elite–range of clients including car enthusiasts, celebs, and VIPs. And when it comes to VIP, rapper Rick Ross is obviously and always, the biggest boss. So when Caliente and Ross collaborated on creating a custom Porsche 911 Carrera; it was destined to be special. Not only was the Porsche 911 an audacious, beautiful ride; but a car that warrants a unique buying experience.

The custom Porsche 911 Carrera is on the docket both as a real-world vehicle and as a virtual digital identity. As such, the Porsche is the world’s first art car minted non-fungible token, or NFT.

NFTs are digital assets that represent actual items such as art, music, and videos. They are bought and sold online and usually with cryptocurrency. However, the Porsche 911 Carrera is the first NFT to come with a pink slip; which gives the lucky buyer digital ownership, metadata, storage, and legal standards. Oh, and one crackin’ whip.

Choosing to sell the Porsche and its NFT is a perfect fit for the two artists, noted for always being a step ahead. However, the focus was always on the Porsche.

“To me, it’s very important to have something tangible,” Caliente told Robb Report. “So it’s kind of like my twist on an NFT, where you have something that’s a digital capsule, but you also have something that can be enjoyed in real life.”

Hand-painted by Caliente, the Porsche has a striking appearance. It succeeds in creating a seamless balance between paint, color, and energy; without sacrificing any of the Porsche’s innate lines and presence. Under the hood the 3.0L flat six remained untouched, and the interior only received a few minor upgrades.

Ross and Caliente are both devoted residents of Miami, so they took inspiration from the vibrancy of the city. Both men are huge car enthusiasts, so the Porsche 911 was an easy choice. Caliente’s modern, expressionist splatter style works powerfully with the hues of blue, purple, yellow, green. It feels fast, energetic, lush and is different from every angle.

Bidding for the NFT #RBC9ELEVEN Porsche goes on from June 4 to June 14 using the cryptocurrency Ethereum. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Irie Foundation; an organization that empowers, mentors, and provides scholarships and opportunities to South Florida youth.

 

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Photos: Rich B Caliente

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S.J. Bryan

Longtime automotive journalist S.J. Bryan has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is an editor with Ford Truck Enthusiasts and regular contributor to F-150 Online, Harley-Davidson Forums, and The Mustang Source, among other popular auto sites.

Bryan first discovered her passion for all things automotive while riding in her parent's 1968 Ford Mustang. The automotive expert cut her teeth growing up riding on Harleys, and her first car was a Chevy Nova. Despite her lead foot, Bryan has yet to receive a speeding ticket.

The award-winning former playwright was first published at age 18. She has worked extensively as a writer and editor for a number of lifestyle and pop culture publications. The diehard gearhead is a big fan of American muscle cars, sixth-gen Ford trucks, and Oxford commas.

S.J. can be reached at sherryjbry@gmail.com.